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Thursday, May 28, 2015

1. Pallava Dynasty.

SourceFlickr
The
Pallavas ruled the area of Andhra pradesh, Tamilnadu and Karnataka from
275 BCE to 882 BCE with Kanchipuram as their capital.
They built architectural temple Mahabalipuram and created the modern form Brahmi script
which influenced the genesis of almost all Southeast Asian scripts.
Thailand, Indonasia, Burma and other Southeast Asian Scripts are evolved from Brahmi script which was the Pallavas creation.

2. The Maratha empire.

Sourcehttp://iyadav.com/
The
Marathas were a Hindu warrior group who established an empire
that existed from 1674 to 1818 in the present day Maharashtra that rose
to prominence by establishing ‘Hindavi Swarajya’.They ended the Mughal rule in India and united India after creating biggest empire like Great Ashoka.Thanjavur
was their capital.Sourcewikipedia
They
ruled almost the whole India except Andhra and tamil nadu
and a part of kerala. They are known to be fierce warriors who are said to be devoted Hindus and never ate meat.
Some of the famous rulers include Chathrapathi Sivaji, Baji Rao 1 and Rajaram Chhatrapati.

3. Vijayanagara Empire.

Source
The
Vijayanagara Empire lasted for 3 centuries from 1336 to 1660 before
losing it to the Deccan sultanates. This period is said to be the golden
period for the Telugu and Kannada cultures as they have
established many monuments across South India and enabled fine arts and
literature to reach new heights in Kannada,Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit. Carnatic music evolved into its current form. They ruled the whole
south India with Vijayanagara as their capital city.
Srikrishna
Devaraya was the famous king of Vijayanagara empire. He was a devotee
of Lord Venkateshwara and the Diamonds and Gold we see on lord Balaji
in Tirumala are mostly his donations. It was known that Vijayanagara
kingdom was equal to the rule of Lord Sri ram where people where happy
and prosperous. He was called as “Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana” (Lord of the Kannada empire) and Andhra Bhoja.

4. Kingdom of Kochin.

Sourcewikipedia
This
Kingdom lasted for 7 centuries from early 1200s to 1947 surviving every
foreign invasion. They are said to be excellent negotiators and
tacticians. They formed relations with all their surrounding kingdoms
and played their cards wisely. Their capital changed over time but they
mainly ruled in the areas surrounding Kochin.

5. Kakatiya Dynasty.

Sourceexploretelangana.com
The
Kakatiyas ruled from 1083 to 1323 with orugallu (Warangal) as their
capital extending to the whole of Andhra along with a part of Telangana,
Karnataka and Tamilnadu. The kakatiya kings are said to be given low
importance to Caste system as a social identifier, anyone, regardless of
birth, could use the nayaka title to denote warrior status and
the inscriptions suggest that people were not bound to an occupation by
birth. This helped them flourish in war and arts alike.
The Warangal Fort, Thousand Pillar temple and the famous Kakatiya Toranam are built by kakatiya legacy.
Rani
Rudramadevi, the famous queen of the Kakatiya dynasty set path for the
Women to lead kingdoms in India as early as 12th century.

6. Gajapathi Kingdom.

SourceFlickr
The Gajapatis
were a medieval Hindu dynastythat ruled over Kalinga (the present day
Odisha), large parts of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, and the eastern
and central parts of Madhya Pradesh and the southern parts of Bihar from
1434-1541. They were claimed to be descended from the Surya Vamsha (Sun Dyanasy) of the Mahabharata
“Gaja” in Oriya means elephant and “Pati” means master. As such, Gajapati etymologically means a king with an army of elephants. The literature Oriya flourished during this period .
They
ruled from Mukhalingam of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and
later moved their Capital to Cuttack. Religious leader
Ramanujacharya had a great influence on the Raja Choda Ganga Deva, who
renovated the Puri Jagannath Temple and another king from the
dynasty, Narasimha Deva built the Sun Temple at Konark which are both
Archaeological wonders.

7. The Pandyas.

The
Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty, one of the three Tamil
dynasties, the other two being the Chola and the Chera.
They were descendents of ancient Mahabharata Pandya King and
they have survived till the early British conquest.
They
controlled the pearl fisheries along the South Indian coast, between Sri
Lanka and India, which produced some of the finest pearls in the known
ancient world.

8. The Chola Dynasty.

The Chola dynasty was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of southern India spanning between 300s BCE–1279 CE.
Together
with the Chera and Pandya dynasties, the Cholas formed the three main
Tamil dynasties of Iron Age India, who were collectively known as the
Three Crowned Kings.
They mainly ruled the area between the Kaveri
and Tungabhadra rivers. Their rule extended out of india when they
successfully invaded cities of Srivijaya in Malaysia, Indonesia and
Southern Thailand.

9. Satavahana Kingdom.

The
Satavahana Empire also known as Andhra kingdom was an Indian dynasty
based from Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh which is now back as Capital of
Andhra Pradesh State. This dynasty extended to Junnar and Prathisthan in
Maharashtra during the later years.
The territory of the empire
covered much of India from 230 BCE onward. History suggests that it
lasted about 450 years from 230 BCE to 22- CE.
The Satavahanas are
credited for establishing peace in the country, resisting the onslaught
of foreigners after the decline of Mauryan Empire.

10. Hoysala Empire.

The
Hoysala empire was a prominent Southern Indian Kannadiga empire that
ruled most of the modern-day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the
14th centuries.
The empire is remembered for architectural temples like
Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and
the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura.

11. Magadha Kingdom.

Magadha
was a kingdom which existed right from by Vedic period was founded by
King Jarasandha . It was reborn
from the Gupta Kingdom. Rajgir of Bihar was the capital.
As you know, King Jarasandha
was killed by Bheema in a wrestling duel and Pataliputra (Patna) was
choosen as the new capital of this kingdom during the start of Kali
Yuga. This kingdom later gave Mauryan Empire that spanned almost whole of India with ASHOKA,the great,

12. The Chalukyas.

The Chalukya dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries.
They
had their capital in 3 cities namely Badami and Kalyani of Karnataka
and Vengi on the river of Godavari. This marks the first time a Southern
India based kingdom took control and consolidated the entire region
between the Kaveri and the Narmada rivers.
The Kannada and Telugu literature flourished during their
reign.

13. The Mauryas.

The
Maurya dynasty was the superpower of the Iron Age India which existed
between 320 BC to 185 BC. It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in
pataliputra and later extended to Afghanistan.
During the rule of Ashoka,
the Great the kingdom managed to conquer the whole Indian sub
continent and rule it as one dynasty. They were credited as the only
people who could defeat King Alexander the Great. The Jain and Buddhist
cultures flourished during this Kingdom.

14. The Rajputs.

Sourcearoundtheglobe.com
The
Rajputs are a ancient dynasty that ruled a vast area of the
subcontinent whic includes western, central, northern India and current
eastern Pakistan.
They seem to have risen to prominence from the late 6th century CE and governed the the country with Rajastan as their base.
They are credited as one of the very few dynasties who were unmoved from their capital by the Muslim sultanate.

15. The Nanda Dynasty.

The
Nanda dynasty originated from the region of Magadha in ancient India
during the 4th century BC and lasted between 345–321 BCE. At its
greatest extent, the empire ruled by the Nanda Dynasty extended from
Bengal in the east, to Punjab in the west and as far south as the
Vindhya mountains.
The rulers of this dynasty were famed for the
great wealth which they accumulated. The Nanda Empire was later
conquered by Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Maurya Empire.
The
Nandas are described as the first empire builders in the recorded
history of India. They inherited the large kingdom of Magadha and
expanded it to yet more distant frontiers. To achieve this objective
they built a vast army, consisting of 200,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry,
2,000 war chariots and 3,000 war elephants.

16. The Guptas.

The
Gupta Empire which existed at its zenith from approximately 320 to 550
CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. This period is called
the Golden Age of India and was marked by extensive inventions and
discoveries in science, technology, engineering, art, dialectic,
literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion, and philosophy that
crystallized the elements of Hindu culture.
Chandra Gupta I,
Samudra Gupta, and Chandra Gupta II were the most notable rulers of the
Gupta dynasty. The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa,
Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma and Vatsyayana who made great
advancements in many academic fields.
Vatsayana of this kingdom wrote the world famous “Kama Sutra“. One of the greatest inventions ever ” 0 “ was invented by Aryabhata in their period as Shoonya.

Friday, May 22, 2015

1. Wat Rong Khun, Thailand

A contemporary temple, Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai
is better known as the White Temple. A Buddhist place of worship, it
has made it to our list of funky temples because of its unconventional
exterior. It is completely white, and each form it highlighted with
mosaic glass and mirrors, making it sparkle in the sunlight. Privately
owned; it is a work in progress, not expected to be completed for many
years to come. Thailand’s very own Sagrada Familia!

2. Haeinsa , South Korea

One of South Korea’s most important Buddhist temples, Haiensa in South
Gyeongsang Province was initially built in 802. It was rebuilt in 1818
after a fire gutted it the year before. The most amazing bit about this
temple is the fact that it is home to a complete copy of Buddhist
Scriptures which have been written on 81,350 printing blocks made of
wood – all of which survived the devastating fire!

3. Po Lin Monastery , Hong Kong

This Buddhist monastery on Lantau Island was started in 1906, but
continuous additions and extensions have been made to it over the years.
A very notable extension - and the one that resulted in putting this
monastery on our list – was the construction of the Tian Tan Buddha, in
1993. This statue, made of 202 bronze pieces, is 112 feet tall. On
a clear day, the statue is visible across the bay from as far as Macau.
It also holds the record of being the world’s tallest, outdoor, seated
Buddha.

4. Borobudur Temple, Indonesia

Borobudur in Java is the largest and one of the most famous Buddhist
temples around the world. Built in the 9th century, it was abandoned in
the 14th for not so clear reasons. Made of over 2 million blocks of
stone, this huge monument lay hidden for centuries under volcanic ash
and jungle growth only to be rediscovered in the 19th century. Since
then several restorations have given it back some of its past glory.

5. Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, Malaysia

One of Malaysia’s oldest and now a major Hindu temple, this sparkler
started off as an ordinary little hut. That is, till the chairman of the
temple decided it was time the humble place of worship got a make over
fit for a disco. So now Malaysia has its first and only glass temple in
Tebrau. Light from crystal chandeliers bounces off every surface, from
doors and walls to pillars and ceilings which are decorated with 300,000
tiny mosaic pieces of coloured glass. It is quite a bright blaze in
there!

6. Hanging Temple, China

Hanging precariously on a cliff side in the mountains near Datong,
is the Hanging Temple. Built about 1,500 years ago, this monastery is
the only existing place of worship which is a combination of three
traditional Chinese religions – Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
Another claim to fame is that it has made the list of the world’s top
ten most odd dangerous buildings!

7. Chion-in Temple, Japan

Kyoto’s Chion-in temple is the headquarters of the Jodo sect, the most
popular form of Buddhism in Japan. A 17th century structure, it has a
huge two storey tall gate which is the largest existing structure of its
type in Japan. Another completely bizarre feature is the floor – the
wooden boards have these metal ends that are attached to metal joints –
giving off a piercing squeaky sound when someone walks over them. The
purpose of this musical floor was to keep a track on intruders. Chion-in
also has a giant bell in the main hall – it weighs some 70 tonnes and
needs 17 strapping monks to ring it!

8. Jetavanaramaya, Sri Lanka

Jetavanaramaya is a 4th century stupa in the sacred city Anuradhapura.
It makes our list for the incredible number of firsts in figures – it is
400 feet tall, placing it on top of the tallest stupa in the ancient
world list. It is also the largest structure in the ancient world with a
base area of 2,508,000 square feet. Another funky figure is an
unbelievable 93.3 million baked bricks that were used as construction
material for this colossal structure.

9. The Golden Rock, Myanmar

The Golden Rock on Mt Kyaiktiyo in Mon State is probably the most
dramatic mounument on our list. A popular destination for Buddhist
pilgrimage, it is a visual delight – imagine a small pagoda built on top
of a granite boulder which defies all known laws of gravity and is
strangely perched on a mountain side. If that is not cool enough, add to
it gold leaves pasted on the boulder by the faithful. A beautiful
sight, especially in the evening; when the rays of the setting sun seem
to set the gold leaf on fire.

10. Ta Prohm, Cambodia

One of the very few temples in the Angkor region of Siem Reap
that has been left in its original form, Ta Prohm is as dramatic as
they come. A simple structure, its beauty is in the fact that large
roots of various trees have grown over and above the temple structure,
binding it in a sort of an unearthly and pretty scary looking grip. Made
famous by the Tomb Raider movie that was filmed here, it is one of
Cambodia’s most visited sites.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Archaeologists have discovered a millennium-old Hindu temple in northwestern Bangladesh believed to be established during the Pala dynasty, experts here said today.

"We found the temple, excavating an area in Bochaganj area of Dinajpur," leader of the excavation campaign Professor Swadhin Sen of Jahangirnagar University said.

He added the temple was believed to be built in between 8th and 9th century in this area which is now called Meherpur village of the Bochaganj sub-district.

The surprise discovery came as farmers found some archaeological relics like old time bricks whir preparing a piece of land for cultivation, the Daily Star newspaper reported.

Officials said the state-owned piece of land was leased out to local farmers for cultivation, who informed the university's archaeology team which was engaged in another excavation in a nearby area.

Sen said they found some terracotta plaques from a trench while the solid objects on the walls surrounding the temple were overly burnt.

Another member of the excavation team, Sohag Ali said they had detected idols and staircase of the temple and "we are working to dig those out".

The discovery came months after the same team unearthed a Buddhist temple, built around the same time at nearby Basudevpur village, the central edifice of which was built on a platform of 45 metres.

The Dhakeshwari Temple, the national temple of Bangladesh and one of the oldest in the country, was built in the 12th century by Ballal Sen during the Sen Dynasty which ruled the region after Pala kings and in popular notion the country's capital Dhaka was named after this temple.

Photograph of the gateway and temple ruins at Warangal in Andhra Pradesh, from the Lee-Warner Collection: 'Bombay Presidency. William Lee Warner C.S.', taken by an unkown photographer in the 1870s.

Warangal was the capital of the Kakatiya rulers in the 12th-13th centuries and together with Hanamkonda nearby, they were important political and artistic centres of the eastern Deccan. The circular city of Warangal was founded in the 12th century by the Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva and was occupied by the Muslims in later times. There are two concentric circles of fortifications. The outer circuit is an earthern rampart entered through four arched gateways. The inner circuit is of stone and has four gateways. In the centre of the city there is a ruined temple dedicated to Shiva Svayambhu and another smaller one also dedicated to Shiva which dates from 14th century.

The Thousand Pillar Temple was built during the period of the Kakatiya dynasty, probably in 1163 CE by order of the then king, Rudra Deva. It stands out to be a masterpiece and achieved major heights in terms of architectural skills by the ancient Kakatiya vishwakarma sthapathis.

It was destroyed by the Tughlaq dynasty during their invasion of the Deccan. It consists one temple and other buildings. There were 1,000 pillars in the structures, but no pillar obstructs a person in any point of the temple to see the god in the other temple.

Modern engineers have removed all the pillars. After they lifted all the pillars they encountered a huge mass of sand. It took nearly two weeks for them to take away all the sand. It was wet sand, because of a pipe connection from the nearby water body named Bhadrakali Cheruvu.

The Thousand Pillar Temple with its ruins lies near the Hanamkonda-Warangal Highway in Telangana State, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) from the city of Hyderabad.

The temple is star-shaped with several shrines and lingams. There are three shrines inside the temple called the Trikutalayam, dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Surya. The temple is surrounded by a big garden in which many small lingam shrines can be seen. There is a carving of a Nandi bull in the form of a highly-polished black basalt monolith.

The Thousand Pillar Temple is constructed on a platform that is raised to a height of 1 metre (3.3 ft) from ground level. Rock-cut elephants and perforated screens in the temple are characteristic of the then prevailing dynasty. Many pilgrims visit. It is also a popular location for shooting films. The Kakatiya festival is held here.